Aftermath
by MyNameIsCAL
Summary: Angel and Fang's flock is dead. The flock fails to cope together and go separate ways and Fang and Iggy surprisingly find love. But tragedy will bring them together, and the only way out is to come together again. Figgy, alternating POVs: Ig, Gazzy, Max
1. Chapter 1

**Aftermath – Chapter 1**

By MyNameIsCAL

**I do not own Maximum Ride, of course. Big thanks to Mr. James Patterson for creating the characters. Hope you enjoy my new story!**

-Iggy's POV-

Fang would never forgive himself. It wasn't even his fault, but he still blamed himself. Not only did he feel responsible for the deaths of all his flock members, but Angel had perished too. Except Angel _had_ to die so we could survive. She had to so we could save the world. Dylan could have just been another casualty, but she told Fang to save him. She said that if Fang saved Dylan, then maybe Fang would have a shot of winning Max over. Well, she was wrong. Fang cursed himself for letting Angel make the decision because of him. Dylan had offered to risk himself too. It was Angel's miscalculation that had led us to this mess, not his. No matter how many times I told him that, he'd never believe me. No one blamed him, not even Gazzy, but Fang still took it hard.

We didn't have Angel's body to bury. To put it bluntly, the bombs went off and it was as if she hadn't ever existed. After we grieved, tensions rose and in order to cope, we split up. Max and Dylan went to California. Gazzy went eastward and was in New York City. Nudge went to Hollywood. Jeb and Ella were dead. But they had already been mourned way before Angel, and I needn't elaborate on those details for now.

It was only Fang and I who stuck together. Nudge was mad at me still and I didn't want to go with Dylan and Max. Gazzy wanted me to go with him, but I knew he didn't want to have to take care of me because he needed to move on by himself and not with me as a burden.

"I'll go with you," were the four words Fang had said first after Angel's death. I remember being taken aback. It astounded me that he would do whatever I wanted, but I soon realized that taking care of me gave him stability.

I guess you could say things worked out though. It still hurt every single day to think about everything we had gone through. There wasn't a day that could pass that I didn't think about Angel. Perhaps she was watching over us though. After all, things had fallen into place for everyone. Max and Dylan got married and had a five-year-old son named Ari, Nudge was a famous fashion designer, and Gazzy was the owner of an entertainment magazine and did some voice acting on the side. And well, Fang and I found love. Unexpectedly, of course.

Right, you probably don't believe me, but it's true. Despite Fang rarely talking, it turned out we were more compatible than we had been (in my case, with Ella and in Fang's case, with Max). I suppose it was because we also grew closer through coping together. Or maybe it was the fact that he really cared for me, more than anyone else ever had.

Fang and I lived on the beach in a quaint, little house. For the last three years we had been _together_ so to speak. Two years prior to that we spent skirting around or anger and pain and eventually our feelings for each other. Our houe was spacious for the two of us, and we spent most of our days on the beach or cooking. Fang spoke little. Usually when we finally climbed into bed at the end of the day he'd talk a little more. It was getting better little by little, I had to admit. Part of me was starting to think that Fang was finally letting go of things.

Today wasn't any different from our usual day. We lay in bed for god knows how long without saying a thing. Then Fang wrapped his arms around me from behind, nestling his face into my neck. The roughness of his check tickled and I let out a laugh as he pulled me closer.

"Good morning," I said, grinning.

"Morning, Ig."

That was always a good sign to hear him talk in the morning. I almost wanted to stay in bed just to see if he'd talk some more. He always told me that all I had to do was ask for him to talk more, but I knew he would be uncomfortable, and well, I didn't mind. Fang was more of a physical being than one who had words to describe everything.

The moment was broke by the phone ringing. Fang's arms slipped away and he was pressing the phone into my hand now. I answered it. "Hello?"

"Hey, Iggy, it's Gazzy. I'm getting on the plane now. Just wanted to let you know that everything's on schedule. I've got a connection in Denver, so I'll call you when I'm there again." Right, we were supposed to be picking up Gazzy at the airport today.

"Fang and I are going to spend the day in San Francisco anyway. We'll pick you up and take you to dinner," I said.

"Thanks." He muttered something away from the phone. "Alright, I gotta go now. I'll call you later. Bye!"

There was a click to signal the call had ended. I gave the phone back to Fang.

Gazzy was on his way to stay with us for a little while. He told us it was only temporary, that he would go back to New York once he finished up some business, but I got the feeling he was job searching. None of us really needed money, not after what the government had paid us to keep some things hushed up. Gazzy just preferred to keep himself occupied. Fang suggested that maybe he was tired of being alone. But it had been a year since I had even spoke to Gazzy and well, I was anxious to finally get to talk to him in person.

Out of the rest of the flock, Gazzy was the only one who knew about Fang and me. Fang was reluctant to really let anyone know. As soon as you took Fang out into public, he gained a more inward composure. There were things I wanted from him, but they were also things he was not ready for. Marriage, telling the rest of the flock, and being comfortable in front of other people. He had only agreed to let me tell Gazzy because I talked to him so often before he had stopped calling me for a year. Max and the others didn't really care to know why Fang and I were living together still. We hadn't even met Ari yet. Then again, Fang wanted nothing to do with Max, and so she had resigned herself to not talking to him ever again.

Fang helped me to dress. After he finished, he kissed me softly on the lips, and I had to resist the urge to pull him towards me and back down onto the bed. He was sweet like that though, believe it or not. Then he smoothed out my hair and told me he was going to change too. I sat on the bed and waited for him.

It was a cold and rainy December morning. Fang wrapped me in a jacket and a scarf and led me to the car by hand. I held onto it for a second after he guided me into the car. He chuckled and squeezed it before letting go.

You would think that silence was uncomfortable, but between Fang and me, it probably said more than even I could ever say. There was something about Fang's presence that made me feel safe.

"I made a lunch reservation."

I raised an eyebrow. Lately he had been surprising me more and more, especially with talking. And now lunch? I felt myself smile. "That sounds great."

We rarely went anywhere far. The grocery was really the only place we went regularly besides the quite café down the street. I guess I didn't really like crowds. It was all just a little too overwhelming. Fang only talks around other people if he needs to, which is pretty much never. I think since we had started living together, he's only maybe said one thing to a stranger and it was because he had accidentally turned the corner and knocked a kid over.

The dirty smell of the city and the ocean mixed together. It made me appreciate living in such a remote place away from the hustle and bustle. Fang took my hand as we exited the parking garage.

"What's wrong?" I asked. Usually he'd only hold it when he had to. He had this fear of exposing himself to the world. Then again, maybe I was insensitive to those kinds of things because I couldn't see.

"Nothin'," he murmured. "Just wanted to hold your hand."

I gave his hand a squeeze and he returned it as we crossed the street.

Lunch was simply amazing. It was a restaurant Fang and I had frequented right after the flock had split and before we had found a place to live. One of the waiters even remembered us. We always ordered the same thing, which was good because Fang didn't have to say a thing.

"So what do you want for Christmas?" I asked Fang.

He lift my hand up and pressed it against his face, letting me know he was smiling. "Just you."

I felt myself grin. "Well, what's gotten into you lately?"

His smile turned into a smirk and he let my hand go as we began to eat our food.

PAGE BREAK!

I remember when it happened. Fang and I were walking along the beach. He hadn't been sleeping, but it was my birthday and he insisted we do what I wanted. As usual, he wasn't talking, and I was trying to convince him that it was okay if he was upset still, even if it was a year later. Just as he took in a breath, ready to say something, I tripped over the sand and grabbed him, pulling him down on top of me.

"I'm so sorry!" I gasped.

He must have been dazed because he stayed there, on top of me. Somehow his arms ended up under mine, and so I had my hands rested on his back, my fingertips just brushing up against his wings. Fang's fingers ran through my hair once.

"Iggy…"

I pulled him towards me, finding his lips. It would be any moment before he pushed me away and took off, I told myself. He was kissing me back though, his fingers tugging my hair. For a while, I thought I was dreaming.

Later when we got back to the house, he told me he was sorry for not getting me a birthday present, but I told him that what had happened would make up for it with a grin, half joking. Then he lifted my hand to his face to let me know he was smiling.

I'm not saying that Fang didn't care for me before our true feelings were revealed. After all, he had let me choose our house. He took me around to a bunch of places, and at first I thought he hated it here, but I soon realized he wanted to be away from the rest of the world like me. Whatever Fang did, he never felt it was enough. Fang even went as far to color code things for me with colored duct tape because (if you didn't already know), I could _feel_ colors.

You would think living with someone who doesn't talk, or rather, living with the person you loved more than anything else in the world who didn't talk, would be hard. It wasn't at all. There was understanding in our silence. It was some kind of connection I still had yet to figure out.

We picked up Gazzy and brought him home for dinner. He sounded tired, but I also felt like something was bothering him. For now, I let it go. Maybe he'd talk more tomorrow after he got some rest.

I lay in bed with Fang now, our arms around each other.

"Ig?" It was always good to hear Fang say my name.

"Yes, Fang?"

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight," I replied.

"Ig, I love you."

I pulled him closer. "I love you too, Fang."


	2. Chapter 2

**Aftermath – Chapter 2**

By MyNameIsCAL

-Gazzy's POV-

It was surreal, man, seeing Fang and Iggy together. Weird wouldn't be the right word to say how I felt about it, but you could tell that the two of them were in love. Alright, maybe jealous is the word I'm looking for. For them, nothing was complicated. They lived here secluded from the rest of the world. They were safe and no one else gave a fuck about what they were doing. Then again, I made my living by selling rumors and gossip to the public.

No, what I really envied was their happiness and stability. I had none whatsoever right now. You see, I have this nasty cocaine addiction. Part of me is hoping they'll figure some things out.

It was way past midnight. The time wasn't important though. I lay in bed, my thoughts drifting to Nudge. Last year we had spent under the radar after a one night stand. I thought we had something. I was ready to settle down. Hell, I was ready to marry her. Then one day, I woke up to my own magazine printing an article about her engagement to a famous fashion designer that, for the longest time, everyone thought was gay. Her career turned out to be more important than me.

Yet here I was wallowing in my self-pity. I still fucking loved her.

Then there was Max and Dylan. That bastard sweeping Max off her feet like that. I guess I'm glad Fang got a happy ending though. Well, Max was happy, but I don't think I'd ever forgive him for just stepping in like that. It was an asshole move if you ask me. They had a kid though and I had met him a couple times. He was sweet, I'll admit. Innocent as kids can be. We were never like that though, and so maybe I even yearned for what he had.

Things weren't going so well between Max and Dylan though. Max said they were fighting all the time now. Whatever it was, it would blow over. It always did. I wish all my problems would too.

"Gazzy, you need to sleep."

My eyes flickered up to the end of my bed. "Go away, Angel."

"I'm not even real, Gazzy. If you got help, then I'd go away for good." She let out a sigh. "Please don't make this harder than it needs to be. They're going to find out sooner or later."

I shut my eyes and when I opened them she disappeared.

Yeah, I'm seeing my dead sister. I needed more than help, but my drug induced thinking wouldn't allow that. The drugs kept her away. That's what I thought anyways.

The darkness soon turned into light. I curled up under the blankets and tried to shut my eyes.

* * *

><p>It looked like a rainbow had barfed all over the kitchen. I sat there drinking my third cup of coffee staring at a cabinet Iggy had left open. Fang explained everything was color coded so Iggy could find it. I guess it was sweet of Fang to even think of that, but now it was giving me a headache. Then it struck me that Fang's explanation was really the first thing Fang had ever said to me in a long time. Iggy was softening him. Maybe for the better.<p>

"I have an appointment at noon," I said to Iggy as I got up to close the damn cabinet. "I'll probably be having dinner out in the city, so don't worry about having to feed me."

"Well, call if anything changes then," he said.

I nodded and then said, "Okay."

After breakfast I changed and headed towards the city. Nudge was here, but I doubt I would even get within a hundred feet of her. Her fiancé, Mr. Flamboyant Fancy Pants seemed to be good keeping me away. I had practically chased her around the country to all their events. He threatened to put a restraining order. If I didn't know any better, I would have stayed in New York, but I had to come. I refused to believe that Nudge would desert me like that.

I told Iggy I was looking for a job. It was the truth really. Despite owning one of the nation's best-selling tabloids, I didn't do much for it. Besides stalk Nudge, but she had spent the last few months out of the spotlight supposedly preparing to go to Europe in the beginning of next year. I needed to be occupied. Although once people heard I owned the tabloid, they usually turned me away. I didn't need a job. Hell, I was crazy. I needed help.

"Gazzy, you came here to get help!" Angel appeared next to me as I crossed the street. "Go back and talk to Iggy!"

"Shut up," I murmured.

"You have all the money in the world!"

"I'm going to sell that dumb tabloid company. It's a fucking waste of time."

Angel disappeared, but I realized people were glancing at me as I passed.

Sell the tabloid company. That was what I was going to do.

I turned midstride and went back across the street.

"Gazzy, you're not thinking straight! You can't just sell it!"

"I'll make millions." I shoved my hands into my pocket, walking faster now.

"Gazzy, stop!"

"SHUT UP!"

More people were staring and I broke off into a run to escape their stares.

I went to a bar and had a few beers before I called Jerry Gallagher. He wanted to buy the company a couple months ago after the tabloid ran a report that was a total lie. They all said it was going to go downhill, but we came back with a newsbreaking story about some celebrity's secret affair. He still wanted it and I wanted to be rid of it.

"You want to sell it to me? Why? Are you in some kind of trouble?"

"Just fucking taking it, Jerry. It's yours. Once you transfer the money, I'll send you everything you need to takeover." Was I slurring my words?

"Oh, alright then. Sounds like a deal."

It wasn't until the next morning I had sobered up the next morning that I realized I had just signed away my biggest asset. I knew I shouldn't have done it. I should have consulted my lawyers and everything, but I simply didn't care. With the new money, I was going to find a way to get Nudge back.


	3. Chapter 3

**Aftermath – Chapter 3**

By MyNameIsCAL

-Max's POV-

"I have to go to work. I promise I'll stop by on my lunch break."

I let Dylan go without saying a word to him.

Even since Ari had gotten sick again, he had insisted on going to work, even though I knew his boss would have wanted him to take time off. I tried to understand at first. Having some time away was good, but he wasn't even here when we needed him. It was getting to the point where I wanted to punch him in the face. And the last time I felt that was back when we were trying to save the world.

The doctors didn't know what was wrong with Ari. They never knew what was wrong with him the first time. All of a sudden he just started to get better and they thought he was cured. It was a miracle, they said, and so things went back to normal. Until last week when Ari had a fever that was so high, it put him in a coma.

I sat on the couch in Ari's hospital room, staring at my feet. I could have stared at my feet all day, but then there was a knock on the door.

"Come in," I managed to say.

Gazzy emerged through the doorway.

"Max, why didn't you call me sooner?" he asked. "Why didn't you tell me this is why you and Dylan are fighting?"

I started to stare at my feet again. "I don't know. I didn't want to bother you. You're busy."

That wasn't true. I knew Gazzy would drop everything to help me, to help any of us. Sometimes I wondered if he did it because he knew Angel would. When Ari was sick the first time, he had been around trying to help, distracting us with his stupid jokes. And since Dylan wasn't any comfort, Gazzy seemed like the only other person I had to turn to.

It took a while for Gazzy to speak again. "Look, I got all this free time now. I sold my magazine. If you need me to beat up Dylan, I will."

I shook my head.

"Well, I'm going to talk to him."

"Thanks." I glanced at Ari. "So what're you doing out here anyway?"

"Sold my magazine."

"Where're you staying?"

He didn't answer so I looked up at him.

"With Iggy and Fang."

Fang. I'd been thinking more about him lately, in spite of myself.

"Do you think it would be different if I chose Fang instead?" I questioned.

Gazzy sunk into the couch. "Of course."

"I think about calling Fang sometimes. I mean, I talk to Iggy every now and then. It just seems stupid, but I know Fang won't want to talk to me now. It's too late. Tell me he's not miserable."

"He's not." Gazzy hesitated. "Iggy's softened him, I think."

I raised an eyebrow.

"I guess Iggy's not even hinted the slightest bit about them?"

"What do you mean?"

He let out a breath. "They're gay, Max."

I blinked.

"Iggy won't tell you because Fang's not ready for that." Gazzy shook his head. "I just think that you deserve to know now."

The room began to spin around me.

"Max?" Gazzy put his hand around my arm.

I sucked in a breath.

"Hey, Max, it's ok."

I didn't realize what he meant until he put an arm around me and I shook against him, crying. It seemed like the last time I broke down like this was when Angel died. Now here I was crying for everything that was wrong. Crying because I no longer knew the people who I once considered family, even Dylan. Crying because Ari might never get to know his family.

"Shh, Max, it's going to be ok." Gazzy's voice sounded shaky though.

But nothing seemed ok anymore.

* * *

><p>Dylan and I sat speechless in Ari's room. Moments like this used to be rare. Dylan was always telling me how he felt. He was always making sure I was ok. He had changed though.<p>

"Dylan…" I didn't know what to say to him.

"Max," he turned to me and took my hand. "Max, you know I love you. I love you and Ari more than anything in this world."

"I know, Dylan."

He sighed, let go of my hand, and turned away. "I don't know how to cope anymore. I can't sit here like you and watch Ari all day. I'm not that strong, Max. And I don't want to sit around you all day pouring my feelings out because that's not good for you."

"I don't want to fight anymore."

"Neither do I."

Then he slumped against me and began to sob. I ran my fingers through his blonde hair and then put my arms around him. It drove a hole through my heart seeing him like this. I felt stupid for ever being angry at him.

"I'm sorry, Max," he cried. "I'm so sorry."

He shook against me and I pulled him closer.

"I'm sorry too."

Dylan pulled away from me, burying his face in his hands. "I…I'm so pathetic…I told myself…I…wouldn't breakdown like…this…"

I took him by the shoulders and forced him to look at me. "It's ok, Dylan. We're going to get through this together."

He managed a smile through his tears. I put my arms around him next and kissed him. Dylan stiffened, but then he melted against me and for those few seconds, our problems seemed to melt away too.

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry I've been slow with updates. I'm working on stuff slowly. Hopefully I'll have a new chapter up soon.<strong>

**I finished Nevermore tonight. I thought it was a brilliant ending for the series, but I won't go into much detail now. If anyone wants to share thoughts, feel free to message me.**

**But yeah, the series is over. It's a lot of emotions, but most of them good and some of them bittersweet. I feel that there's still a lot more to be said in the fanfiction universe about this series, so as long as people are still reading, I'll still be writing. New ideas are spinning already.**

**Until my next update! Thanks for reading!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Aftermath – Chapter 4**

By MyNameIsCAL

-Iggy's POV-

"I saw Max a few days ago."

I felt Fang stiffen next to me as Gazzy said Max.

"Ari's sick again," Gazzy explained. "And it's not looking good."

Fang spoke, surprisingly. "What do you mean?"

"He's in a coma and his brain activity is weak. The doctor said he got some kind of infection."

"Infection? But isn't he immune to everything like we are?" I frowned.

"That's what the mystery is. But the tests are coming back inconclusive. They don't even know if it's an infection for sure because they don't know what's causing it." Gazzy stuffed the last of the food in his mouth and rose from the table. Lately it seemed like he couldn't sit still, but then again, he was rarely around. "Anyways, I just thought you should know. You'll probably hear from her soon. She's kind of a mess. Dylan and she were fighting, but I talked to her yesterday and she says things are better now."

He disappeared down the hallway as he spoke his last words.

"I should call her," I muttered.

Fang said nothing.

"Maybe we can send some flowers." I was just thinking out loud now.

"Maybe I should talk to Max."

Did I hear what he said correctly? "What?"

"Her kid is what, four? Five? I shouldn't be so selfish." Fang let out a sigh. "He's part of our family and we don't even know him. It feels like the flock doesn't even know each other anymore."

We sat there in silence. Fang was right. The last time the flock was together was when Angel died. The only things we heard about Nudge were from the tabloids and news. Besides talking to Max every now and then, I didn't know a single thing about her life right now.

"I tried to reach out to Max, even just as a friend after Angel died," he said quietly. "But she pushed me away. I guess I've been expecting an apology all these years. But maybe when she realized she should say anything to me, she thought it was too late."

This talk of Max was making me uneasy, but he sensed it.

"I just want to set things right, Ig. I wouldn't leave you or change any of this. I'd go through all of it again." He reached out and squeezed my hand. "For you."

Then he fell back into his silence again.

PAGE BREAK!

When I woke the next morning, Fang wasn't in bed. I let out a sigh. No morning conversation for us today. Usually he waited for me.

Just before I called out his name, he entered the room. The smell of pancakes entered the room and I grinned. He settled a tray on my lap and then sat on his side. Oh, Fang. Always surprising me.

"Well, good morning," I replied.

"Morning," he said. "I think I burned them a little."

I took a bite. "They're perfect, Fang."

After we finished eating, Fang took our dishes to the kitchen. He climbed back into bed and pulled the blankets back over us. I rolled over and pushed myself on top of him. His hands rested right between my wings.

"Can we just stay in bed all day?" I asked.

He took my hand and pressed it to his face so I knew he was smiling.

"Of course," he said anyways.

We began to undress each other under the sheets. The rest was history. Well, not really, but you know what I mean.

* * *

><p>Halfway through dinner, Gazzy burst in through the garage door.<p>

"What happened to you?" Fang asked immediately.

It must have been really bad if Fang said something right away.

"LEAVE ME ALONE, ANGEL!"

What?

There was a loud crashing for glass.

Fang rose from beside me.

"GET OFF OF ME, FANG!"

They were punching each other. I got up, ready to put myself between them, but then they went flying onto the table. Needless to say the table broke in two and they lay sprawled in the debris.

"Gazzy, that's enough!" Fang growled.

There was no response.

"I think I knocked him out." Fang began to stand, but then he fell back down.

"You're bleeding," I muttered, kneeling down next to him.

"He stabbed me with a piece of glass in the leg." Fang leaned against me. "Iggy, call an ambulance."

I gulped and did as I was told. Fang was unconscious by the time the paramedics arrived. The smell of all that blood was making me nauseous.

I almost puked on the way to the hospital. It was serious. Fang had lost a lot of blood because Gazzy impaled one of his arteries. They rushed him off to the ER as soon as we got there.

"Excuse me, do you know anyone who matches his blood type?" a woman asked me. She must have been a nurse or something.

We weren't a match. Only Max was. I remember all those years ago when Ari attacked Fang and he lost all that blood and almost died. Max was the only one who could give him blood.

"Max…"

"Max who?"

"Maximum…Maximum Ride," I managed to say.

The woman led me to a chair and sat me down. "She's in this hospital. I'll go find her."

I nodded. She must be here for Ari. I swallowed. Everything felt like it was spinning even though I was sitting down.

I'm not sure how long I had been sitting there until someone tapped me on the shoulder. I almost jumped, but I recognized the voice, even though I had not seen her in over five years.

"Max…"

"I didn't think it would take this to see you again," she said quietly. "Why don't you come with me to Ari's room. It's quieter there. I told the nurse I was taking you there already, so they'll know where to find you."

I nodded and let her lead me through the hallways. We went down in an elevator and entered another hallway.

"Is Dylan here?" I asked.

"No, he went home to sleep." Max opened a door and guided me to a couch.

"Th-thanks for giving Fang blood," I told her.

"You think I was going to let him die or something?" Max hesitated. "I know I haven't spoken to him since Angel died. He's probably mad at me. He went and opened up to me and I pushed him away."

"He was mad at first," I admitted. "But just the other day he was saying how he wanted to make things right again. That he didn't care about that anymore. That the entire flock doesn't seem to know each other anymore."

"What happened to us?" Max's voice was unsteady.

"I don't know. I miss everyone."

There was a long silence. The only thing I could hear was the blips from the machine monitoring Ari's vital signs.

"Exactly what happened tonight?"

I shook my head. "I don't know. Gazzy burst in and started yelling, 'ANGEL, LEAVE ME ALONE' and then Fang stood up, trying to calm him, and then Gazzy attacked him. Stabbed him with a piece of glass in the leg and pushed Fang through the kitchen table."

"Gazzy was fine when I saw him the other day. He just looked tired."

"I haven't even seen him," I muttered. "He comes home late and leaves early. He sold his magazine. I don't even know what he's doing. I've been meaning to talk to him, but he's never around. The last time I spoke to him was when he told me about Ari."

"I meant to call you." She let out a breath. "Maybe this is a sign that we should, I don't know, try to be a family again."

I could only nod.

"By the way," she said, sounding tired now. "Thanks for the flowers. Those are my favorite."

"What flowers?" I thought about sending some, but I never got around to ask Fang to go order them online.

"The ones you sent. The card said it was from you and Fang. I just thought you sent them." She rose from the couch and crossed the room.

"I guess Fang must have sent them then." It was the only explanation. He would know they were her favorite.

She came and sat down next to me. "I'll have to thank him."

"He'll have to thank you for saving his life," I laughed.

We lapsed back into silence. I guess Max and I never really talked. Perhaps the deepest conversations we ever had were about Ella. Jeez, I hadn't thought about Ella in a long time. I had been so young back then. It still hurt me that I never had any kind of chance to save her. I never even said goodbye. That alone should have torn me up, but all the death that had happened after that made it numbing.

I shut my eyes and sunk into the couch. Maybe this was the reason the flock went its separate ways. We didn't want to think of the past and that's exactly what we would remember when we saw each other. That was probably the reason Fang had felt so conflicted about seeing Gazzy. How could you spend time around Gazzy without thinking about Angel? The only reason Fang agreed to let me tell Gazzy about us was because he felt guilty.

Speaking of us. I wondered if I should tell Max. I must have looked like a nervous wreck sitting there in the waiting room. Would she take it well? I mean, she was fighting with Dylan according to Gazzy. What if she was thinking about Fang? Wondering if he'd take her back someday?

"Fang's going to be okay, Iggy," Max said softly.

Why was she telling me that? To reassure herself?

"Look, I'm not going to skirt around the fact that I know about you two." She let out a breath. "Gazzy told me when he came to visit the other day."

"I'm going to kill him," I muttered. "I wanted to tell everyone, but Fang isn't ready for that. He's still…trying to make sense of everything that happened."

She wasn't angry though. "I don't care that you didn't tell me. I just want to stop being strangers now. The past few weeks the world has been spinning again and I need…I need stability. Dylan and I can't get through Ari being sick alone. It's tearing us apart. I don't…"

She sucked in a breath.

"Then let's start right now. We're going to have each other's backs again. Don't cry, Max. You're going to make me cry."

"I'm sorry," she sniffled.

I wanted to say that I was sorry too, but there was a knock on the door and so the moment was over. I just hoped that everything would be ok again.


	5. Chapter 5

**Aftermath – Chapter 5**

By MyNameIsCAL

-Max's POV-

I was going to see Gazzy, but then I caught a glimpse of Iggy and Fang through the door. I stood watching them.

Iggy was holding Fang's hand. He was talking to him. Something about Gazzy and then me. Fang looked exhausted and only nodded in response. Then Iggy said something else I couldn't make out and Fang smiled. I hadn't seen that smile in a long time.

God, I missed it.

"Excuse me, Ms. Ride?"

I swerved around. "Yes?"

A short man in a pinstriped suit stood in front of me. He was clutching a large yellow envelope. Duncan was his name. He was Dylan's assistant or something. After adjusting his spectacles and clearing his throat, he held the envelope out to me. "My name is Chuck Duncan. I am here to serve you divorce papers."

I blinked. "Excuse me?"

"Dylan has petitioned for a divorce." He shifted his weight.

The door opened and Iggy stepped out.

"What's going on?" he asked.

Duncan's eyes fell to the floor. "I'm really sorry."

I took the envelope from him. "You tell Dylan he better come talk to me."

Duncan nodded and trudged off muttering another apology.

"Max…"

"I have to go, Iggy."

He grabbed me by the wrist. "Max…"

I couldn't keep it together after that. Iggy got me into Fang's room somehow and sat me on the couch. I don't know how long I sat there and sobbed, but I felt pathetic after that, especially because this was the first time Fang was seeing me in like, well, ever. Iggy had put an arm around me. I guess that calmed me a little.

"Max, let go of the envelope." Iggy tugged it from me. "C'mon, you'll talk to Dylan. It'll be alright."

I shook my head. All the signs were there. I had just been in denial.

There was a knock on the door. "Mr. Griffiths, the police are here to see you. Could you step out for a minute?"

Iggy let out a sigh. "I'll be right back, alright?"

There I was with Fang, alone. I wiped my eyes and looked up at him. His eyes met mine for a moment and then he closed him.

"This wasn't the way I expected to see you again," he said, his voice hoarse.

I looked down at my hands. "Well, me neither."

"Thanks for the blood."

"You think I'd let you die?" I let out a harsh laugh and then sucked in a breath. "Fang, I'm so sorry…"

"Yeah? Me too."

We sat in silence for a long time. I was hoping Iggy would come back in.

"We don't…" Fang hesitated. "We don't have to talk about anything, if you don't want to. But I'd really like to start over, alright?"

"I'd like that too."

* * *

><p>-Iggy's POV-<p>

I had forgotten all about Christmas until I woke up to the smell of pine tree.

"Fang?"

Footsteps travelled towards me from the bathroom. "I got a tree."

"I can smell it." A grin spread across my face.

"We can decorate later," he said, climbing into bed next to me. "Christmas is at the end of the week anyways."

I put an arm around him as he snuggled up against me. "What time did you go out to get that?"

"Early," he murmured. "So you'd still be asleep."

He was asleep before I could say anything else. I ran my fingers through his hair, which was still a little damp from the shower he had just taken. We had only gotten back from the hospital last night, and he was worried about not having a tree. I did my best to pull the blankets over us and we stayed in bed until noon.

* * *

><p>Fang was mostly silent on the days up until Christmas. I was afraid he would withdraw back to his old self, but he'd speak when I spoke to him, and he was still telling me goodnight before we went to sleep.<p>

He agreed that we should visit Gazzy the day before Christmas Eve. Not only to check up on him, but to also give our support. I guess Fang had never been angry, just upset. I guess we had always thought better of Gazzy, that he'd never fall into the trap of drugs.

Gazzy promised us he was going to get things together, that he had just talked to a friend who was going to hook him up with a nice apartment.

"I've got an idea for a movie script too. I've been stupid. I hope you'll forgive me."

"Of course," Fang said before I could. "Gazzy, I just wish we could have helped you before."

Gazzy said nothing for a long time. "I know, I wish I had said something before too."

"Well, you let us know if we can help you in any way," I told him. "I mean it."

"Thanks…" He hesitated. "Look, I know you and Max aren't on the best of terms, but I called her this morning and Ari's condition hasn't really improved and she seemed pretty upset Dylan wouldn't come for Christmas…I tried to get her to come visit me, but she said no…"

"We'll stop by the hospital on the way home," Fang said quietly.

"I think that'll mean a lot to her." Gazzy shifted in his chair. "I mean, I'm really glad you two came. I wasn't expecting it. I got some Christmas presents heading to your house. Might be a day late, but sorry I couldn't be spending it with you."

We thanked him and talked a little more about his treatment before we headed to the hospital. I knew Fang had said he had talked to Max briefly, but he never told me what they had discussed.

"You sure about this, Fang?" I asked.

"Yes." He let out a breath.

I let him lead me through the hospital. We checked in with a nurse and she brought us to Max's room.

"Iggy! Fang!" Max had her arms around me before I could even say hello.

"Hey, Merry Christmas." I managed to get an arm around her before she moved to Fang.

"Hey, Max," Fang managed to say.

Max let out a sigh. "Gazzy told you, didn't he?"

I nodded. "We'll hang around here if you want. Or you're welcome to come over for a while. Let us cook you dinner or something. This hospital food is awful. I mean, at least tomorrow for Christmas Eve."

This time she sucked in a breath. "I'd…I'd like that."

Fang's cell phone started to ring and he excused himself from the room before I could say anything.

"You think he'd be okay with that?" Max asked me.

"He was the one who told Gazzy we'd make sure you were ok."

"Does he know that I know?"

I nodded.

The door opened and a nurse came in. Max said she'd see me tomorrow, maybe around five. She gave me a hug goodbye and told me to tell Fang thanks. Was I nervous about all of this? Of course. But something about all of this felt right finally.


End file.
